Pagina 57 - Juliana_Book_eng

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belt in submediterranean and Dinaric regions. The general distribution extends
widely in southern Europe.
In her identification key from 1951, our well known botanist Angela Piskernik
reports the name snake death for this plant.
Iris cengialti Ambrosi ex A. Kern. – Southern Alpine Iris
(Iris pallida subsp. cengialti)
The generic name originates from the Greek/Latin term iris, which refers to the
rainbow as well as to a God’s messenger. The species is highly variable: in
Slovenia, two indigenous subspecies can be found.
The Illyrian Iris (Iris pallida subsp. illyrica) grows in dry karst meadows and in
rocky terrains. From its underground rhizome, sickle-shaped leaves are
sprouting. The stems bear two to five flowers. The blossom directly below the
highest flower is sessile or rests on a short peduncle. The perianth consists of 6
tepals, the inner ones upright, the others bent downwards. The flowers are light
to dark violet. In Slovenia, the plant occurs in the Karst region and in the
Istrian karst mountains (Čaven, Nanos, Vremščica, Slavnik). The general
distribution extends to the northwestern Dinarides.
The perianth of the southern Alpine iris (Iris pallida subsp. cengialti) is dark blue to violet. The stem bears two to three
flowers. The blossom directly below the highest one is situated on a peduncle which is at least three centimetres long.
The plant thrives on rocky-bushy slopes and scree in the Julian Alps (Posočje region and Bohinj).
Iris graminea L. – Grass Iris
The name of this plant tells us that its leaves are reminiscent of those of
grasses.
The plum-scented iris is a perennial plant with winged, to 40 cm tall stems. The
basal leaves are longer than the stem and grass-like. The tepals are light blue or
purple. The inner tepals are upright, whilst the outer tepals are turned down.
The flowers have a fruity aroma reminiscent of that of plums.
The species grows in dry meadows and in warm scrublands from the lowlands
to the montane belt all over Slovenia. The general distribution encompasses
central and southern Europe.
Iris sibirica L. – Siberian Iris
This is a perennial plant with a thick underground rhizome and upright, round
and hollow stems which are 30-50 cm tall. The leaves are linear-lanceolate.
The flowers are located in the axills of brown bracts that are skin-like in the
upper part. The tepals are bluish purple, whitish at the bottom, with darker
bluish purple veins.
The plant thrives in wet habitats such as marshy meadow from the lowlands to
the montane belt all over Slovenia. Its distribution extends into Asia as far as
Siberia (hence the species’ name) and Japan.
As its sites are being drained, the Siberian iris is becoming increasingly
endangered.
Jacobaea abrotanifolia (L.) Moench subsp. abrotanifolia – Orange-
flowered Groundsel
(Senecio abrotanifolius)
This plant has leaves which are pinnately divided into narrow, linear to thread-like, hairless, shiny green lobes. The
flowers are gathered in heads, the marginal flowers are ligulate and yellow, those of the disc are tubular and bright
orange to orange-red.